Lurking Shadows
by kshadow
Summary: Because all of them had scars, and dark desires. Shadows that lurked deep within them. During the day, they wore masks. But at night, there was no pretending. A Link/Zelda/Midna dark romance.


**When I wrote my first Zelda oneshot, Lost Chance, in January, ****Inita**** commented about sensing a slight Midna/Link/Zelda, which got me thinking. What would a relationship between those three be like? For ten months, I have tossed ideas back and forth, trying to come up with something light and nice. But then, inspiration hit me. All three of them would have been left with emotional scars, and probably would have been sort of messed up. And then, I had it. And from there, the story had to come out. It needed to be read. So, without further ado, I present to you, ****Lurking Shadows.**

**Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda does not belong to me.**

In the eyes of the public, they were the golden couple. The Hero and the Princess. Link and Zelda. Their relationship did not come as a surprise to any; who else would be able to capture the heart of the other? Everyone thought they understood their relationship, everyone from the villagers of Ordan, to the Gorons of Death Mountain, the Zoras who inhabited the river, and the people who lived in Castle Town. But they were wrong.

If you listened to the gossipers who stood around the fountain found in the middle of Castle Town, you would most likely hear the relationship of the two most known figures of Hyrule described as beautiful, full of love and compassion. Woman would berate their husbands and boyfriends for not being as chivalrous as Link, who they would admire from afar. Men would compare their partners to Zelda, only to decide they could not even begin to rival Zelda's kind heart, and radiant beauty. Their relationship was the purest of romantic relations, balancing each other perfectly, driving away the shadows of the other. But it was not as it appeared.

In the beginning, there had been whispers of another, another princess who had captured the hero's heart, who had the respect and love of their own princess, Zelda. A name, known only to few, swam among the thoughts of the few who knew the truth of what had really happened to Hyrule. Midna. Another princess, not of Hylian blood, but another creature, still humanoid, but not Hylian. A creature whose beauty was not pure and radiant like Zelda's, but dark, and otherworldly, with an ability to hide in the shadows, and use strange magic. A creature who could not stand the light. But the rumors faded, as no one in their right mind could believe that Zelda and Link had loved another, especially one not even from the Land of Hyrule. This creature, this princess, could not possibly exist. If only they knew the truth.

Because the truth was not as beautiful and heavenly as they thought. Link and Zelda embraced the shadows lurking in their hearts, understanding that one could not be made of only light, and no shadow, or vise-versa. You needed both.

Because the truth was that behind closed doors, away from the eyes of the adoring public, their relationship was possessive, and dark, but it was balanced. They complemented each other, balancing each other's desires, understanding the needs of the other. They both wanted to be in possession of the other, controlling them, creating their own path, filled with light and shadows, so wonderful, yet terrible. Both had been controlled, Zelda by Zant and Ganondorf, and Link had his fate pre decided by the Goddesses. They had always existed in the light, fighting to keep it from being overcome by the darkness that threatened it. With each other, they were free.

And the truth was that Midna did exist. Princess Midna, the monarch of the Twilight Realm. And everything they said about her was true, except that, yes, she could bear the light. And every evening, she would wait for her Hylian lovers in the Zelda's bedroom, the same tower the Hylian girl had spent months waiting in despair for the Hero. And every night, the three would be free together, free to act on their hidden desires. But the sun would rise, and when it did, they put their public faces back on, Midna would return to the Twilight Realm, and they would keep pretending, until darkness fell again.

**So, what did you think? Please review telling me what you thought, how I could improve, and any ideas you would like to give me for my next oneshot. Anything Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, Twilight Princess, or Skyward Sword, as they are my favorite Zelda games.**

**~Kathleen**


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